Piling mechanism for plate mills



July 4, 1939. M. J. AJELLo FILING HECHANIS FOR PLATE HILLS Filed Nov. 5.1938 NNW .mtmlhw Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEClaims.

My invention relates to piling mechanism for plate mills, and itsprincipal object is to provide a mechanism whereby the individual platesor sheets, as they issue from the rolls are au- 5 tomatically receivedand arranged in-an orderly pile suitable for transportation from themill.

Another object of my said invention is to provide a mechanism of thecharacter referred to which is capable of handling even very thin sheetsof iron or steel without damage or buckling which are of frequentoccurrence when the sheets are handled and piled by hand labor as iscustomary at the present time.

With these and other objects in view, I will 16 now describe a preferredembodiment of my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing,in which- Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating anordinary pair of rolls having my im- 20 proved piling mechanism arrangedin cooperative relation therewith.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section of the same takenon line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is an end view of the device shown in Figure 2, looking in thedirection of the arrows 4 in the latter mentioned figure.

Like characters designate corresponding -parts throughout the severalviews.

In the drawing, I designates `a housing of conventional constructionhaving the upper and lower rolls 2, 3, respectively, while I I indicatesany ordinary form of screw down mechanism for regulating the thicknessof the plates which the rolls are desired to produce. In front of therolls are a pair of tables 4, arranged in opposed relation as shown moreparticularly in Figure 2 of the drawing, and having aseries of gaps oropenings 4I which extend to their front or opposed edges. Upon the uppersurface of the table 4 are provided castors 5 of well known constructionwhich are rotatably mounted upon the several sections of the table andcarry wheels or rollers 5I, the upper peripheries .of which are arrangedat such a height as to conveniently' receive a plate such as designatedP inFigure 1 as it issues from the rolls 2, 3, and intermediate the saidrolls are a pair of freely rotatable rollers 3| arranged at the sameheight as the rollers 5I. The size of the table 4 and the number ofcastors mounted thereupon are arranged to suit the maximum and minimumsizes of plates or, sheets which it is desired to produce in thisparticular pair of rolls. Beneath the table 4 are two sets of freelyrotatable rollers 6 supported upon pairs of girders 6I, the inner oradjacent girders of each pair being arranged in spaced relation so as toprovide a gap or passage-way 5 62 therebetween for a purpose to behereinafter explained. The girders 6I are mounted upon piston rods 62upon the lower ends of which are pistons, not shown, adapted to be movedup and down within the cylinders 63, the move- 10 ment being effected byany ordinary fluid pressure means, preferably hydraulic, and controlledby appropriate valves and valve operating mechanism which it is notdeemed necessary here to describe or illustrate. The tables 4 are supl5ported upon a series of carriages 42, the lower ends of which areprovided with truck wheels 43 adapted to travel upon channel-shapedtrackways 44 so that they may be moved back and forth towards and awayfrom one another 2o by means of fluid pressure cylinders 45 havingtherein pistons which are connected by rods 46 .to the carriages, asshown in Figure 3.

Within each of the gaps 4I in the tables 4 is a vertical channel-shapedmember 41 which 25 projects upwards above the table 4 and'serves `tomaintain the successive plates issuing -from' the rolls in properlateral alignment, and in` order to adjust these members to suit theparticular width of plate to be rolled, the said members 3o are providedwith dove-tailed bases 48 which slide in complementary dove-tailedtrackways 49 mounted yupon the oor surface, and in threaded relationwith the bases 48 are right and left hand threaded screw shafts 50 which35 extend from side to side of the machine, being supported in bearings?5II and are connected by bevel gears 52 and gears 53 to a longitudinalshaft 54 mountedin bearings 55 and provided with the hand wheel 56 bythe rotation of which 40 the opposed pairs of members 41 are movedtowards and away from each other simultaney ously.

Above lthe tables 4 is a rod 1 suspended .by links 1I from any form' ofoverhead support 12', 45 and upon this rod is slidably mounted adownwardly projecting arm 12 which is secured in different positionsalong the rod as by the set screw 13. lZlhe arm 12 is positioned in thepath of the plate P as it `issues from the rolls 2, 3 50 so that whenthe plate in its outward movement reaches a certain position, the rod' 1will be pushed in an outward direction, causing the links 1I to be movedabout their pivotal points and thereby operate a switch arm 12 whichforms 55 a part of one of the links. In the relative positions of theparts shown in Figure 1, the plate P has just reached the end of itsstroke and the switch arm 12' has been moved in position to close acircuit C and energize a solenoid C', causing the plunger C2 to open avalve C3, thereby allowing iluid pressure from a convenient source topass in the direction of the arrow :c

through the valve C3 and out in the direction of the arrow y to thecylinders 45, causing the tables 4 to be moved in a direction away fromone another, and when these tables have reached the limit of theiroutward movement, the plate P will be then unsupported by the tables andlby means of the guide members 41, and in this o manner the sheets fallsuccessively upon the pile in an orderly manner so far as their lateralposition is concerned, and in order that they may be similarly disposedin a lengthwise direction, there is provided a vertical arm 8 adjustablymounted upon a bar 8i as by the set screw 82, and as the tables moveinwards after discharging the plate P the bar 8i is moved in thedirection of the arrow w by means of the cam-like member 84 which iscarried upon one of the tables 4 and acts upon the roller 85 which isrotatably mounted upon the bar 8| so that as the 'tables move inwardsthe bar 8| is moved as before stated in the direction of the arrow w, soas to bring the newly deposited plate into longitudinal alignment withthe plates already in position upon the rollers 6. It will be observedthat as the tables move outwards to release another plate, the bar 8l ismoved away from the rolls by means of the helical spring 86 whichsurrounds the reduced portion 81 abutting against the shoulder 88 andreacting against one of the bearings 89 by which.the bar is slidablysupported. Further, it will be noted that in order to obtain greaterprecision in controlling the endwise travel oi! the plate P, one of thelinks 'Il is provided with a stop 14 which limits its movement. Arm 8 ispivoted at 80 so as to fold downwards as at in Fig. 1, allowing platesto pass on to conveyor 6I l.

It will be observed from the foregoing description and by reference tothe drawing that I have provided a simple and effective mechanism forthe purpose above recited, and while I have herein described and shown apreferred embodiment of my invention it will be obvious to those skilledin the art to which the same relates that various changes indetail maybe made to suit any particular or peculiar requirement without departingfrom the spirit o! my invention as dened in the appended claims. Forexample, instead of employing iluid pressure means for movement of thevarious instrumentalities, as herein shown and described, other meanssuch as electric motors may be employed to produce the variousmovements. It is believed that the valves and other details necessaryfor actuating the various moving parts in properly timed relation are sowell understood that n further description of them is deemed necessary.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a mechanism of the character described. the combination, with apair of rolls, of a pair of horizontally movable tables disposed inequally spaced relation with the vertical center line of said rolls,said tables having a plurality otlateral gaps in their opposed edges; aplurality of castors upon said tables adapted to receive a plate issuingfrom said rolls; a plurality of pairs oi' vertical guide membersprojecting upwardly through said gaps; means for simultaneouslyadjusting the distance between the respective pairs of guide members tocorrespond to the width of the plate to be rolled; and means actuated bysaid issuing plate for moving said tables apart to discharge the sameand for returning them to normal position subsequent to such discharge.

2. In a mechanism of the character described. the combination, with apair oi rolls, of a pair of horizontally movable tables disposed inequally spaced relation with the vertical center linel of said rolls,said tables having a plurality of lateral gaps in their opposed edges; aplurality of castors upon. said tables adapted to receive a plateissuing from said rolls; a plurality of pairs of vertical guide membersprojecting upwardly through said gaps; means for simultaneouslyadjusting the distance between the respective pairs of guide membersl tocorrespond to the width of the plate to be rolled; a series of conveyorrollers beneath said tables; and means actuated by said issuing platefor moving said tables apart to discharge the same upon said rollers andfor returning them to normal position subsequent to such discharge.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination, with apair of rollsl of a pair oi horizontally movable tables disposed inequally spaced relation with the' vertical center line of said rolls,said tables having aplurality of lateral gaps in their opposed edges; aplurality ofcastors upon said tables adapted to receive a plate issuingfrom said rolls; a plurality ci pairs of vertical guide membersprojecting upwardy through said gaps; means for simultaneously adjustingthe distance between the respective pairs of guide members to correspondto the width of the plate to be rolled; a series of conveyor rollersbeneath said tables; means actuated by said issuing plate for movingsaid tables apart to discharge the same upon said rollers and forreturning them to normal position subsequent to such discharge; andmeans for aligning the plates endwise after each discharge.

4. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination, with apair of rolls, of a pair of horizontally .movable tables disposed inequally spaced relation with the vertical center line of said rolls,said tables having a plurality of lateral gaps in their opposed edges; aplurality of castors upon said tables adapted to receive a. plateissuing from said rolls; a plurality of pairs of vertlcal guide membersprojecting upwardly through said gaps; means for simultaneouslyadjusting the distance between the respective pairs of guide members tocorrespond to the width of the plate to be rolled; a series oi' conveyorrollers beneath saidtables; means actuated by said issuing plate formoving said tables apart to discharge the same upon said rollers and forreturning them to normal position subsequent to such discharge; andmeans for aligning the plate endwise after each discharge, saidlast-named means comprising a member movable longitudinally beneath saidrollers and having an arm extending upwardly above the pile of plates,and cam means upon one of said tables for actuating said member.

5. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination, with apair of rolls. of a pair of horizontally movable tables disposed inequally spaced relation with the vertical center line of l said rolls,said tables having a plurality of lateral gaps in their opposed edges; aplurality of castors upon said tables adapted to receive a plate issuingfrom said rolls; a plurality of pairs of vertical guide membersprojecting upwardly through said gaps; means for simuitane` ouslyadjusting the distance between the respective pairs of guide members tocorrespond to the width of the plate to berolled; a series of conveyorrollers beneath said tables; means actuated by said issuing plate formoving said tables apart to discharge the same upon said rollers and'for returning them to normal position subsequentl to such discharge;means for elevating said rollers in timed relation with the outwardmovement of said tables to receive said plate and for lowering themafter such receipt; and

means for aligning the plates endwise after eachA

